The growth and development of artificial intelligence is fast becoming a powerful influence in the global economy and society overall. While advancements in AI are successfully reshaping many transactional contexts such as image search and purchase recommendations, the progression of this technology is somewhat slower in contexts that involve multidimensional experiences aimed at advancing human intelligence and the overall human condition. In this conversation, the convenors aim to present their evolving experiences engaging AI and machine learning as a vital design component in their research and practice in health, fashion, and expressive domains. The conversation will examine both the philosophical “whatness” of AI as a material, and the practical “howness” of going about working with it. There is a growing body of literature examining the relationship between design, AI, and user experience [3, 4, 7] and this conversation aims to build and expand upon this emerging area of interest.

The five panelists tackle the issue of AI and design from a variety of perspectives, disciplines, and praxis cultures. In this conversation, they will foreground the metaphors, strategies, and methods that best support their design process in conceptualizing, implementing, and understanding the power (and threat) of AI as a key material in creating and presenting systems for diverse contexts including home-based stroke rehabilitation [5, 6], digital mental health [1, 5, 9, 10], interactive textiles [2], reminescence therapy [10, 11], and curatorial practice [8]